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What does research or credible articles say about joking with a person and how much of the ribbing is based on truth? What level of truth is likely embedded within jokes that a person makes, especially ones aimed at close friends and family members?
Hello! Thank you for your inquiry regarding what level of truth is likely embedded within jokes that a person makes, especially ones aimed at close friends and family members. In short, the findings suggest that sometimes there is a bit of truth behind humor, but there are many different reasons behind a joke. Below you will find a deep dive of my findings.
METHODOLOGY
To research your request, I searched through academic papers, trusted media sites, user forums and other trusted web sources to discover the truth behind a joke. I used a wide range of resources over many years to give a good overall accounting on humor and the truth or reasons behind its use. As you will see in my findings, there are many different definitions of a joke. It may be classified as sarcasm, satire, or many other names, each having different intents.
FINDINGS
There have been many studies on humor, Hobbes and Plato suggested that humor is used to help us feel superior to others. Freud had many different views on the subject, such as “humor was the fun-loving id making itself known despite the protestations of the conformist superego.” And “that jokes were true, serving two purposes: aggression (such as sarcasm) or to expose unconscious desires (the sexual joke).”
Recently, Daniela S. Hugelshofer, a psychologist suggested, “we use humor as a buffer against depression and hopelessness.” Other psychologist suggests we use humor as a way to “outshine” our friends.
There are many reasons behind a joke. Sarcasm, a form of humor has been shown in many of my findings to be “laced with truth and indicates an underlying anger or hostility that seeks escape.” In fact, a lot of people in the field of psychology view sarcasm as hostile or voicing an underlying anger issue. “Sarcasm generally puts another down in some way, or at the very least pokes fun at them.” There are different reasons associated with sarcasm, one is that people use this type of humor to voice an underlying issue in an unconfrontational way. They get it off their chest and if the person who is the target of the sarcasm becomes confrontational, you can just say, “I was just kidding.”
A study from the Western Carolina University showed, that heterosexual men who have a strong sense of what a man is, tend to use sexist or homophobic humor to provide self-affirmation of their manliness.
The use of sarcasm also helps bring stereotypical prejudices out in the open and by making jest of these issues, they take away some of the power behind the of the prejudice. Many comedians have done this, pretty much since the beginnings of comedy. Satire is a way to bring up uncomfortable issues in a way that is perceived of as all in fun.
As one author wrote, “don’t kid yourself, there is always an element of truth behind every sarcastic remark.” People tend to hide behind sarcasm instead of just being honest. Sarcasm can carry many different elements such as frustration, resentment, jadedness, bitterness, anger or many other subtexts. But sometimes sarcasm can be a good thing. Bringing up issues in a light way can make us feel better if it is not misinterpreted. Studies have also shown that sarcasm increases creativeness.
An article from the APA discussing “the formula for funny,” it states, “if a joke is going to garner more than a chuckle, it needs some emotional fire behind it, he says. Some jokes do this by tapping into some uncomfortable or unspoken truth.”
A study found the use of sarcasm varied by geographic location. Findings showed 56% of northerners thought sarcasm was funny while only 35% of southerners found this type of humor to be funny.
Another article on “The Science of Sarcasm.” Discusses how scientist are finding that the ability to detect sarcasm enhances creativity and problem solving and is essential to living in our modern society. There are a multitude of television shows today that depict sarcasm at its finest. By the time children today reach kindergarten, they already understand sarcasm. Findings have also shown, that the “inability to detect sarcasm can be an early warning sign of brain disease.” “Sarcasm seems to exercise the brain more than sincere statements do. Scientists who have monitored the electrical activity of the brains of test subjects exposed to sarcastic statements have found that brains have to work harder to understand sarcasm.” In relation to sarcasm, “it’s practically the primary language” in modern society, says John Haiman, a linguist at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the author of Talk is Cheap: Sarcasm, Alienation and the Evolution of Language.”
The article states, “sarcastic statements are sort of a true lie. You’re saying something you don’t literally mean, and the communication works as intended only if your listener gets that you’re insincere. Sarcasm has a two-faced quality: it’s both funny and mean. This dual nature has led to contradictory theories on why we use it”. Some language experts suggest, “sarcasm is used as a sort of gentler insult, a way to tone down criticism with indirectness and humor. “How do you keep this room so neat?” a parent might say to a child, instead of “This room is a sty.” Other researchers have found “that the mocking, smug, superior nature of sarcasm is perceived as more hurtful than a plain-spoken criticism. The Greek root for sarcasm, sarkazein, means to tear flesh like dogs.”
The article further suggests that we are “more likely to use sarcasm with our friends than our enemies, Pexman says. “There does seem to be truth to the old adage that you tend to tease the ones you love,”
The problem with that is many psychologists and therapist warn to have a healthier relationship, you should cut out the sarcasm. Used in moderation, it can be alright, but too much can leave the recipient bitter. As previously stated, sarcasm is often a sort of hostility disguised as humor. People tend to smile and laugh along with sarcasm even though deep down they feel hurt. Sarcasm is latent to a milder form of bullying, and usually, cover up insecurities within the person making the comments.
A study from the McGill’s School of Communication Disorders tried to understand how the brain perceives the truth found that when watching videos, people could usually tell if the characters were teasing one another, but when it came to sarcasm, it was a bit more difficult. The study showed that men had a harder time than women when detecting sarcasm in general. Men seemed to detect sarcasm better when the characters were pretending to be friends in the videos. The researchers stated, “the videos helped to highlight that it wasn’t simply the tone in which comments were made, but also a mixture of physical cues, such as facial expressions, and even the relationships between the two characters that can give an idea as to whether certain comments are sincere or sarcastic. For example, you’re going to make comments in a different way depending on whether the person you’re talking to is a close friend, a partner, or your boss. Previously, most other studies looking into these forms of social interaction tended to focus solely on the vocal cues.”
TEASING AMONG FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES
Some say teasing among friends is a good thing. “In fact, a lot of times, this type of teasing is truly a sign of love and closeness. When your group of friends decides to give you a hard time, it doesn't necessarily mean they don't like you — especially with guys. In fact, it usually means the opposite.”
Teasing comes in many forms. It can just be meant in an annoying playful way. It can be used to test trust, by teasing someone, you can see if they trust that you would not hurt them and that it is all in fun. Teasing also shows that the teaser trusts you enough to know you will not be angry at them, understanding it is not meant to hurt you. Teasing among friends tend to go both ways, and make a fun banter leading to laughter. Teasing can also be disguised as bullying and be done to dominate a person.
A book by David Dunning stated, “People commonly tease each other, but it appears that people who are teased misunderstand the intentions of the person doing the teasing. Often, teasing is done in a spirit of affection and playfulness, and teasers attempt to convey these intentions through subtle nonverbal cues. However, those who are being teased tend to miss these benign aims. When they describe a time they teased their roommate, people tend to describe the action as more humorous and lighthearted than does the person being teased, who instead rates such incidents as more malicious and annoying. The good intentions of teasers are just not as obvious as teasers believe.”
An article in Psychology Today discussed the author's experiences with teasing. He states, “My family members and closest friends, especially my wife, are well aware of my many flaws and don’t hesitate to tease me about them. They know, for example, that I can’t carry a tune, am often absent-minded, am uncomfortable at parties, am ignorant of much of popular culture, get too serious when playing games that should be just for fun (an obvious flaw in someone who writes about the non-competitive nature of play), and am far more frugal than necessity demands. By teasing me about these things they show me that these elements of my character are out in the open; I don’t have to try to hide them. The people I care most about already know these things about me, find them amusing and accept me despite the flaws. To know someone well is to know their weaknesses as well as strengths, and teasing can be a playful way of expressing that knowledge and thereby reinforcing the friendship. The flaws, to the real friend, can even be endearing, as long as they’re not too egregious.”
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the findings suggest that sometimes there is a bit of truth behind humor, but there are many different reasons behind a joke.
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